"It's been a long journey," Scott Nazzarine said. "There is a huge weight lifted off that we've gotten this far. I wish it wouldn't have taken this (long), it would have been nice to have done this years ago."

Nazzarine's daughter, Sophia, had her first seizure when she was eight months old and diagnosed a month later with epilepsy. For years, they have tried multiple drugs, combinations of pills and even two brain surgeries before heading to Colorado to see a specialist who prescribed medical marijuana.

"It's very concentrated, it's very very high CBD, which is the medical part of it and very, very low THC, we're talking like .03 percent," Nazzarine said. "She went from right before that happened about 20 to 30 seizures a day to one and then zero within three days of starting this, it was absolutely miraculous."

Kasich's signature makes Ohio the 25th state to legalize a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to a count by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Ohio's bill drew both support and opposition from Republicans and Democrats when it cleared the Legislature late last month. Lawmakers had moved quickly on the measure as they looked to offset support for a proposed fall ballot issue. The group behind the ballot effort has since dropped its plan and called the legislation "a step forward."

Mary Haag is CEO and president of Prevention First. She is opposed to the law because marijuana has not been proven as a medicine and needs to go through more studies.

"I know it's frustrating that it takes so long," Haag said. "There are people (and) I have compassion for them because they have some diseases and conditions that are challenging, difficult to live with. But I think that we owe our public, the public health of our community to do it right. To really deem whether ... there really are medicinal components or not."

Kasich signed the legislation in private. His office announced it in a press release.

The law is slated to take effect in 90 days, though the medical marijuana program won't be up and running by then. It's expected to be fully operational in about two years.

The Ohio Department of Commerce, State Medical Board and Board of Pharmacy will all play a role in regulating medical marijuana and those who cultivate, test, use and dispense it.

Towns could move to ban dispensaries or limit the number of them. The bill also sets some parameters for dispensaries, cultivators and testing laboratories. They could not be located within 500 feet of schools, churches, public libraries, playgrounds or parks.